OSLO (Reuters) - John Griggs Thompson of the United States
and Jacques Tits of France were awarded a $1.2 million
Norwegian mathematics prize on Thursday for their work in
algebra and group theory.

The Abel Prize, named for the Norwegian 19th-century
mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, has been awarded annually
since 2003 and has been likened to a Nobel prize in
mathematics.

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters chose Thompson
of the University of Florida and Belgian-born Tits of the
College de France "for their profound achievements in algebra
and in particular for shaping modern group theory."

"The achievements of John Thompson and Jacques Tits are of
extraordinary depth and influence," the prize committee said in
its citation.

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Group theory is a 200-year-old branch of mathematics that
deals, among other things, with the concept of symmetry which
is key to understanding the solution of equations.

Thompson revolutionized the theory of finite groups, and
Tits created a new and influential notion of groups as
geometric objects, the citation said.

The award will be handed to the Abel laureates by Norway's
King Harald at a ceremony in Oslo on May 20.

The two mathematicians, who have published their work
separately, will share the prize of 6 million Norwegian crowns
($1.2 million).